Sire was started in 1966, and in the 1970s grew into one of the largest independent labels, and was closely associated with the New York/CBGB's scene and signed bands like The Ramones and Talking Heads shortly after it was bought by Warner Brothers in 1976. It floated around the Warner Brothers stable for a while, becoming part of Elektra, then separate again, and then being part of London and then separate again. It's currently part of Warner Brothers proper, though it lately has been working with Rhino to release many compilations and best-ofs of Sire's famous output.